Bowling Green, KY Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $40 unaltered, $10 spayed/neutered per year
- Registration
- Annual tag through BGWCHS
- Vaccination deadline
- By 10th day after cat turns 3 months
- License due date
- July 1 or 30 days after acquiring cat
- Late penalty
- $10 added to unpaid license
- TNR program
- Run by BGWCHS at no city cost
Summary
In the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, every cat three months or older must be licensed, registered and rabies-vaccinated through the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society. Owners of unaltered cats pay $40 a year versus $10 for spayed cats. The city's Community Cat Program traps, vaccinates and returns feral colonies at no cost to the city, and shields managed community cats from nuisance citations.
5-1.02 License Required. ... It is a violation of this Subchapter for any person to own, keep or harbor any dog or cat within the corporate limits of the City without first having paid a license fee thereon as provided for in this Chapter. ... 5-1.19 Community Cat (Trap-Neuter-Release) Program. a. It shall be the duty of the BGWCHS, or such other persons or organizations as may be designated by the Board of Commissioners, to administer a Community Cat Program within the city, providing services of trapping, evaluating, vaccinating, spaying or neutering, and returning community cats as defined hereinabove. ... ... c. Community cats shall not be considered in violation of Section 5-1.08 (Animal Nuisances Prohibited) when effectively managed under the standing policies and procedures of the Community Cat Program.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-1.02 makes it a violation to own, keep or harbor a cat within the corporate limits without paying the annual license fee, and Sec. 5-1.03 requires registering the cat each year with the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society (BGWCHS), which issues a metal tag that must stay on the cat's collar. Sec. 5-1.04 requires rabies vaccination by the tenth day after the cat turns three months old, and a veterinarian's certificate must be presented when applying for the license. Sec. 5-1.05 sets the fee at $40 for an unspayed cat and $10 for a spayed one, due July 1 or within 30 days of acquiring the cat, with a $10 late penalty; unaltered owners also get a spay/neuter certificate good toward surgery cost at BGWCHS or a participating vet.
Sec. 5-1.19 puts the BGWCHS, or another Board of Commissioners-designated group, in charge of a Community Cat (Trap-Neuter-Release) Program that traps, evaluates, vaccinates, spays or neuters, and returns cats defined as feral, stray or free-roaming, run at no cost to the city. Community cats effectively managed under that program are exempt from the Sec. 5-1.08 animal-nuisance ordinance. Citations run through Chapter 2 hearing procedures before the Code Enforcement and Nuisance Board.
Violations & Fines
Unpaid or unregistered licenses draw a civil fine of $75 for a first offense, $150 for a second within five years at the same property, and $300 for a third or greater. Missing rabies vaccination carries $25/$50/$100 fines on the same escalation. A contested citation goes to the Code Enforcement and Nuisance Board, which may double any of these amounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in Bowling Green?
How much does a cat license cost?
What happens to feral or community cats?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bowling Green
Compare Bowling Green to another location·View the Kentucky animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.